European Union Enlargement - An historic opportunity

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Milestones in EU enlargement 1957 Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Rome and establish the European Economic Community (EEC). 1963 Association Agreement signed with Turkey. 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the EC. 1981 Greece joins the EC. 1986 Portugal and Spain join the EC. 1988 The first Trade and Co-operation Agreement was signed with Hungary; similar agreements were subsequently signed with the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 1989 ■ Fall of the Berlin Wall. ■ European Community sets up the Phare Programme. ■ Opinion on Turkey. 1991 The first Europe Agreements were signed with Hungary and Poland (ratified in 1994); similar agreements were subsequently signed with the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 1993 ■ Copenhagen European Council agrees the accession criteria. ■ European Commission adopts Opinions on Cyprus and Malta. 1994 Essen European Council agrees the pre-accession strategy. 1995 ■ Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU. ■ Cannes European Council sets Phare budget at €6.9 billion for 1995-1999. 1997 ■ European Commission adopts Agenda 2000 and Opinions. ■ Luxembourg European Council agrees on start of enlargement process, including accession negotiations and a reinforced pre-accession strategy. 1998 MARCH APRIL OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER ■ First European Conference. ■ Accession process is launched. ■ Accession Partnerships are adopted. ■ Accession negotiations are opened with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. Screening process begins with the ten candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus. Malta reactivates its membership application. European Commission adopts first Regular Reports. Vienna European Council endorses European Commission’s Regular Reports. 1999 FEBRUARY European Commission presents update of its Opinion on Malta from 1993. MARCH Berlin European Council adopts the financial perspectives for 2000-2006, including preaccession funds and accession-related expenditure. JUNE Cologne European Council. OCTOBER European Commission adopts second set of Regular Reports and revises Accession Partnerships. DECEMBER Helsinki European Council reaffirms the inclusive nature of the accession process, decides to open accession negotiations with six additional candidate countries, and confirms Turkey as a candidate destined to join the European Union. 2000 FEBRUARY Accession negotiations are formally launched with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and the Slovak Republic. JUNE Feira European Council confirms the principles of differentiation and catching up and emphaises the importance of candidate countries administrative capacity to implement the acquis communautaire. NOVEMBER European Commission adopts third set of Regular Reports, and an Accession Partnership for Turkey. DECEMBER Nice European Council provides the institutional basis for enlargement by concluding the IGC on institutional reform, and endorses the enlargement strategy proposed by the Commission. The central element of the strategy is the roadmap for the conduct of the negotiations.
Annexes 2001 JUNE OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2002 JANUARY APRIL JUNE OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2003 MARCH APRIL Gothenburg European Council confirms that the enlargement process is irreversible, and reaffirms the roadmap as the framework for the successful completion of the negotiations. Provided that progress towards meeting the accession criteria continues at an unabated pace, the roadmap should make it possible to complete negotiations by the end of 2002 for those candidates that are ready, allowing the countries concerned to participate in the European Parliament elections of 2004 as new Members. The European Council recognises that the decisions in Helsinki have brought Turkey closer to the EU, and urges Turkey to take concrete measures to implement the priorities of the Accession Partnership. Gent European Council makes mid-term review of the implementation of the enlargement strategy agreed at Nice. European Commission adopts fourth set of Regular Reports and proposals for revised Accession Partnerships. Laeken European Council confirms that considerable progress has been made in the negotiations and concludes that if the present rate of progress is maintained, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia could be ready to conclude negotiations at the end of 2002. The European Council also notes the significant efforts made by Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and encourages them to continue on that course. The European Council decides to convene a Convention on the Future of Europe. Council adopts revised Accession Partnerships for all negotiating countries, based on the proposals put forward by the European Commission. European Commission, in co-operation with the negotiating countries, launches Action Plans for the reinforcement of administrative and judicial capacity. Seville European Council reaffirms the Union’s determination to conclude negotiations with the first ten candidate countries by the end of 2002 if they are ready. The European Council invites the Commission to prepare roadmaps and revised and enhanced pre-accession strategies to be adopted in Copenhagen for those countries still engaged in negotiations. The European Council reiterates its call to the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach a settlement before the conclusion of negotiations. The European Council welcomes recent reforms carried out in Turkey and supports it in its efforts to fulfil the priorities defined in its Accession Partnership. ■ European Commission adopts its fifth set of Regular Reports, recommending that the Council conclude negotiations with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia. ■ The Brussels European Council endorses the Commission’s recommendations. ■ Conclusion of the Nice Treaty ratification process following a successful referendum in Ireland. European Commission proposes roadmaps for Bulgaria and Romania. Copenhagen European Council successfully concludes negotiations with first ten candidate countries. Regarding Bulgaria and Romania, the European Council states that, depending on further progress in complying with the criteria for membership, it is its objective to welcome these countries to the Union in 2007. Recalling its decision in Helsinki in 1999 that Turkey is a candidate state destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria applied to other candidate states, the European Council pledges to re-examine Turkey’s status in December 2004 on the basis of a report and recommendation from the European Commission. If by that time Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, the Union will open accession negotiations with Turkey without delay. European Commission adopts proposals for revised Accession Partnerships for Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The Accession Treaty with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia is signed in Athens, Greece. ENLARGEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, AN HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY 35
Page 1 and 2: Enlargement of the European Union A
Page 3: General overview of the enlargement
Page 6 and 7: An unprecedented enlargement Enlarg
Page 8 and 9: ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS (FOR MORE DE
Page 10 and 11: COPENHAGEN EUROPEAN COUNCIL Members
Page 12 and 13: Pre-accession strategy At the end o
Page 14 and 15: THE EUROPE AGREEMENTS WITH THE COUN
Page 16 and 17: EXAMPLES OF PRIORITIES IN THE ACCES
Page 18 and 19: PRE-ACCESSION ASSISTANCE TO TURKEY
Page 20 and 21: In this way Twinning provides the f
Page 22 and 23: Initially, Twinning was limited to
Page 24 and 25: EXAMPLES OF CO-FINANCING BY ISPA AN
Page 26 and 27: REVIEW PROCEDURE - REGULAR REPORTS
Page 28 and 29: The Accession process from negotiat
Page 30 and 31: NEGOTIATIONS: ANALYTICAL EXAMINATIO
Page 32 and 33: The EU’s Preparations for Enlarge
Page 35: Annexes ENLARGEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN
Page 39 and 40: Annexes ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT Contr
Page 41 and 42: Annexes ROADMAP FOR THE ACCESSION N
Page 43 and 44: Annexes National Phare* MEDA Progra
Page 45 and 46: Annexes Lithuania 2% Bulgaria 2.6%
Page 47 and 48: Annexes The Community assistance he
Page 49 and 50: Annexes BUDGETARY ARRANGEMENTS MAXI
Page 51 and 52: European Commission Enlargement of

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